Department of Health
The Union of Everett Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a Cabinet department of the Everetti government with the goal of protecting the health of all Everetti citizens and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of Everett". The Everetti Department of Health oversees the entire healthcare system, regulating hospitals, medications, insurances, doctors licensing and health sub-agencies such as the AMA, FDA and ADA. The Department of Health and Human Services' budget includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities. Some highlights include: *Health and social science research *Preventing disease, including immunization services *Assuring food and drug safety *Medicare (health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans) and Medicaid (health insurance for low-income people) *Health information technology *Financial assistance and services for low-income families *Improving maternal and infant health, including a Nurse Home Visitation to support first-time mothers. *Head Start (pre-school education and services) *Faith-based and community initiatives *Preventing child abuse and domestic violence *Substance abuse treatment and prevention *Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals *Comprehensive health services for Native Americans *Medical preparedness for emergencies, including potential terrorism Healthcare System Everett has full universal healthcare for all citizens which also covers those who visit and vacation inside the nation who become sick or injured. All forms of healthcare centers are required to accept the government healthcare. Healthcare was extended to be immediate treatment with no waiting periods or denials. Under the equal rights laws created by President Spencer, LGBT needs were added to the list of covered medical illnesses which includes surgeries, operations and medications. Private insurances still exist in Everett but have declined drastically and many companies have shutdown due to loss of customers and patients. Healthcare is compounded if a person has a private insurance which means if the private insurer does not cover a medical cost, the government system will pick it up and pay instead. Universal Healthcare laws additionally placed regulations on private insurers including the outlawing of denial of coverage for previous medical conditions, refusing to cover certain conditions and cancelling of coverage for new conditions. Private insurers are also required to accept and pay for bills from any medical care center, doctor or provider, regardless of being covered under the insurer's plan. Care Centers Everett has been rated the best healthcare system in the world by the World Health Organization because of full Universal Healthcare, speed of care and treatment, excellent training of doctors and surgeons and non-discriminatory care. Free Clinics Everett has many free clinic located around the nation but these have turned into just regular clinics since Universal Healthcare was established. These clinics provide people with basic healthcare such as blood tests, vaccination, prescription medication and check-ups. Clinics are government funded. Doctors Offices/Clinics These are private doctors who practice their own medicine outside of a hospital. They provide testing, check-ups, vaccination and can give prescription medication to patients. They are licnesed by the American Medical Association (Everetti Branch) and take cash, credit or insurance for payment. Now that all citizens are covered under government healthcare, doctors simply bill the Department of Health. Hospitals Hospitals provide the best healthcare in the country which includes emergency room treatment of injuries and accidents and surgery. Hospitals also specialize in many other fields of medicine including cancer treatment, pregnancy care, rehabilitation, drug detoxification/addiction aid and much more. Those who are arrested on drug use charges are sent to special hospitals that specialize in helping addicted people get off drugs and into rehab. More of these hospitals have grown in Everett since the new drug laws took effect. Also appearing in Everett are LGBT hospitals and centers who specialize in treatment for the community, especially in consideration of the transgender community who have been given medical illness status since the establishment of Everett. Their surgeries and medications are now covered by government insurance. Mental Health Mental illness is heavily regulated in the Union of Everett especially mental institutions and hospitals which are known for corruption, over medicating and illegal hopsitaliztion of patients. A person cannot be held in a hospital against their will for more than 48 hours without government approval. The case must be emailed or faxed to a government mental health care for review to ensure a person is being detained legally. Under Everetti law, a person can be detained in a hospital for suicidal or homicidal behavior or activity or any situation in which a person is completely unable to function who is either facing starvation or severe illness. Altenatively, a person may sign themself into a hospital voluntarily for any matter they have. Dental Everett has excellent dental care and like private doctor's clinics, function on their own in their own practice. Dental care centers are controlled by the American Dental Association (Everetti Branch). Heathcare Reorganization Act of 2009 Healthcare Cost Reduction Act In response to rising healthcare costs, the Everetti federal government investigated the reasons for skyrocketing costs and passed a law forcing freezes on the price of care. Reports of price gouging and excessive bills forced a federal response. The law caps prices and bills for care and requires the review of charges for care. Hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers frequently charged excessive prices for simple procedures, medications, supplies and treatments. Reports included over $100 for a single pain medication pill and over $1,000 for a toothbrush. Hospitals found to be gouging prices as stated in this law may face large fines or those responsible for creating said prices may face criminal charges of scams, fraud, heathcare gouging and criminal negligence resulting from unaffordable healthcare. HIV/AIDS Reduction Act The HIV/AIDS Reduction Act is a sub law of the Healthcare Reorg. Act of 2009 which forces pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers to reduce and cap the extremely high prices of HIV and AIDS treatment medications. Citing UN AIDS operations abroad, prices of HIV treatments were drastically higher in the former United States and the current Union of Everett, peaking over $5,000 a month for treatments while in other nations, medications cost far less. The gouging of prices had been forced to reduce by 90% - 95%, still far over priced than the same medications in many foreign nations. In addition to forced reduction in treatment pricing, the Act allowed several new medications by the FDA which were previous researched and some currently researched for treating or even curing HIV and AIDS. The Act was complemented with the HIV/AIDS Cure Act of 2011 which provided further funding for research and testing of several treatments and cures and the requirement to cover their costs previously denied by the FDA and therefore not covered by health care providers and HMO's. Patient Protection & Healthcare Security Act The PPHS Act was passed in 2009 by the federal government as a federal law which enforced strict regulations on private insurances and HMO's. The law primarily targeted corrupt corporate policies regarding the providing of coverage for treatments. The law specifically outlaws the following main four common issues: 1) Denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions. 2) Refusal to cover treatments or illnesses. 3) Dropping of coverage for attaining a condition. 4) A medical facility or organization refusing to accept an insurance provider a patient has/is covered by. Psychiatric Patient Protection Act The Psychiatric Patient Protection Act is a federal law signed into law by President Spencer on August 17th 2011. The law is part of continued reform of the healthcare system within the Union of Everett, which is ongoing from the previous Heathcare Reorganization Act of 2009 and the following HIV/AIDS Reduction Act and Patient Protection & Healthcare Security Acts of 2010. The Psychiatric Patient Protection Act (PPPA) specifically targets the psychiatry and psychological care industry. PPPA protects mental healthcare patients from criminal activities, corruption, unlawful practices, abuses of patients, heavier regulations of prescription pharmaceuticals and protects the legal rights of parents, guardians and children in regards to mental health cases of minors. Consumer Safety System The Department of Health is charged with an important duty. In 2010, the DHHS formed the Consumer Safety System, which investigated a variety in consumable products and their quality and safety. Working with the American Medical Association, American Psychology Association and several independent medical panels and investigators, the DHHS compiled a listing of hazardous food and other consumable products currently available for human consumption. Federal laws were passed in 2011, authorizing the Department of Health to ban the inclusion of certain ingredients and chemicals in food products and water or beverage supplies. The Department of Health, since 2011, has banned the adding of over 150 different ingredients and chemicals in food and beverage products. Many of these included the banning of water fluoridation and drinking water chlorination. Illegal Ingredients & Additives In Food Consumables *Olestra *Ammonium Caramel Coloring *Saccharin *Potassium Bromate *Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) *Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) *Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil *Azodicarbonamide *Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (PCB) *Carrageenan *Butane **TBHQ *Estrogen *Animal Rennet *Propylene Glycol *Castoreum *Carmine *Crimson Lake *Cochineal **Natural Red #4 *Aspartame *Acesulfame-K *Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) *Melamine *Dyes **Red 40 **Yellow 5 **Yellow 6 *Hexafluorosilicic acid *Sodium silicofluoride *Sodium Fluoride *Fluorosilicic acid *High Fructose Corn Syrup *Mercury *Genetically Modified Organics *Neotame *Sucralose *HEK-293 *Arsenic *Ammonia *Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) *Intralytix ListSheild Category:Union of Everett Category:organizations Category:Laws